Terminal



April 1957 F. H. HARDY; ET AL TERMINAL.

Filed Dec. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ill H H l I'MIMLL:

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lnvenrors Francis H.Hardy John E Scomm'cm [mm 4/L Their AH'orney April 9, 1957 F. H. HARDY ET AL 2,788,507

TERMINAL Filed D90. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l4 i P P T l/ I8 I I9 I 1 I l6 I5 21 Fig.5

32 I I4. 4 I3 34 l l /3o I l 33 35 Fig.6

4O 42 1Q LY A Inven'brs:

F 7 Francis H. Hardy John F. Scamman y-fdlm ag.

Their Aflorney RMIN Francis H. Hardy, Lynn, Mass, and John F. 'Scamman, Somcrsworth, N. H., assignors to, General Electric Company, a corporation of New York.

Application December 28, 1954, Serial No. 4'78;072

6 C a ms (G 339-41 This invention pertains to a terminal of the type used for making electrical connections, particularly electrical ground connections for meters .or the like, and has special utility where the application requires aheavy cable or largesize conductor as a groundlead.

The primary object of the present invention. is to pro vide a terminal which permits a conductor to be quickly andfirmly secured in place and which has a simple design requiring a minimum of parts which maybe quickly assembled. his a further object to provide a terminal, the parts of which lend themselves to ease of manufacture with elficient use of materials.

The present invention, in one aspect, uses a base member on which is mounted a yoke in a manner to provide a socket for receiving a conductor. A locking piece in'the form of a strap is attached to the base member so as to be slidable to locking and unlocking positions; The locking piece and the yoke are provided with cutouts which permit mounting of the yoke on the base mernbcrand which allow movementof the lockingpi'ece to its locking position to hold the elements in assembly. A conductor securing means, such as a set screw, is provided in the yoke.

The features of the present invention which are be.- lieved to be novel and' patentable are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and construction, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be understood better by reference to the following description taken in conection with the accompanying-drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing sembled without a conductor;

Fig. 2 is a plan view in cross section taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view in cross section taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the locking strap in one form;

Fig. 5 shows the yoke as a flat piece;

Fig. 6 is a modified yoke shown as a flat piece; and

Fig. 7 is a modified locking strap to be used with the yoke of Fig. 6.

Referring to the figures, the terminal comprises a base member in the form of a metallic mounting block 1 having ridges 2 3 for supporting a U-shaped yoke 4 which is mounted in inverted position so as to form a socket between the yoke and the block. A locking strap 5 is attached to block 1 by screw 6. An elongated hole "7 permits strap 5 to slide across block 1 in notch 8. Shoulders 9, it 11., and 12 on the sides of block 1 and the terminal as asthe ends of ridges 2 and 3 serve to hold the yoke in upright position.

In the preferred embodiment the terminal is a ground terminal and the base member is a mounting block of cast metal which is machined to have ridge forming cuts and a locking strap notch 8. In the fabrication of the metallic block, the shoulders 9---12 are formed as integral parts of the block. The ridge forming cuts are made in any Well known manner and may be made to cut into the shoulders as at 3.6 and 37. The notch 8 in the blockis formedin any well known manner.

The assembly of the parts is made possible by the provision of cutout means in the yoke and in the locking strap. Referring to Big. 5, it can be seen that yoke 4 is fabricated from fiat stocks and is adapted to be bent along. lines 13 and. 14. to form legs 15 and 16. in leg 15 is a cutout. 17 which .forms edges 18 and 19.. Into these edges are cut notches 2.0 and 21. In leg 16 is a cutout 22 which is generally rectangular in shape. A hole v23: is, made in the center of. yoke 4 to receive a set screw24 which serves to, hold a conductor in the socket.

The cutout. Z2 and the notches 2t) and 2.1 in cutout 15 serve to receive. the locking strap to lock the yoke. '4 to the. block 1; the locking strap. likewise has notches 25 and. ZlS-to receive edges 18 and 19 of yoke 4 when the strap is in unlocking position.

In assembling the parts to form a terminal with a socket for receiving a conductor cable, the strap 5 is placed in guiding notch 8. Screw 6 is inserted into elongated hole 7 of strap 5 and threaded into hole 25in block 1 to the fullest extent. An enlarged shank portiOn .2.6 on screw 6 prevents the head 27 of screw 6 from being flush with block. 1. The length of the enlarged shank, portion 26 is such that strap 5 may slide. freely. between the block 1. and head 27.

The; strap 5 having been secured to block 1, it is:

moved, so that notches 2.5. and 26 are aligned with one: of the-ridges,.e. g. ridge 2 ofFigs. l-3. The strap has been: fabricated to a lengthsuch thatwhen slots 25 and 26 are; alignedwith ridge 2, ridge 3 is unobstructed and yoket4i can now beplaced on block ll. Yoke d is mounted so that edges 15 and 19 of cutout l? in leg 15 pass through. notches 25 and 26in strap. 5. The ends of legs, 15. and. 16 come to rest on ridgesZ and 3 between shoulders 9.12.. With the ridges cut to. the proper depth and withthe. cut outs made in proper portions of yoke 4, the cutouts 221. and notches 20 and 2,1 are aligned on opposite sides of. block 1, The strap. 5 is then moved. so that one end 27 passes through cutoutZZ andnotches 2t). and 21 receive. edges, of the-strapnear notches 25 and. 26. A rectangular slot 28 may be cut into. the strap 5 to aid in gripping the strap duringmovement. A conductor cable (notshown) may be inserted into the. socket between legs 15 and; 16. andset screw 24 may be. turned to, hold the. conductor in place.

Another easy method of assembly, in the case of heavy conductors or cables, may be to place the conductor (not shown) in position on screw head 27. While this conductor is held in position, the yoke 4 is placed on the block and then strap 5 is moved to locking position. Set screw 24 is then turned to hold the conductor securely in place. It is seen that a simple tool such as a screw driver can be used to accomplish the assembly in an easy and efficient manner. The invention, further, lends itself to the same ease and efficiency of assembly in those installations where little space is provided around the terminal.

Figs. 6 and 7 show modified forms of yoke 4 and strap 5 respectively. Yoke 4 has cutouts 3b and 31 in legs 15 and 1d. Notches 34 and 35 are made in the edges 36 and 37 of cutout and notches 32 and. 33 are made in edges 38 and 3% of cutout 31. During assembly, strap 5 is positioned on block 1 so that notches 42 and 43 and notches dd and t are aligned with ridges 2 and 3 of block 1. Legs i5 and 16 of yoke 4 are then mounted to straddle block 1 so that the ends rest on the ridges. During placement of yoke l, the edges 36 and 37 pass through notches 42 and 43, and 38 and 39 pass through 15 and 16.

Therefore, while a particular embodiment of the subject invention has been shown and described herein, it is in the nature of description rather than limitation, and it will occur to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, and combinations may be made within the province of the appended claims, and without departing either in spirit or scope from this invention in its broader aspects.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I l. A terminal comprising a base member, a yoke adapted to be mounted on said base member in a manner whereby a socket is formed between said base member and said yoke to receive a conductor cable, a strap secured to said base member for slidable movement to locking and unlocking positions, said strap having cutout means to allow mounting of said yoke on said base member when said strap is in unlocking position, said yoke having cutout means to receive said strap to lock said yoke to said base member, and means in said yoke adapted to hold a conductor in said socket.

2. A terminal comprising a mounting block, a U-shaped yoke adapted to be mounted on said block in an inverted manner whereby a socket is formed between said block and said yoke to receive a conductor cable, a strap fixed to said mounting block for slidable movement to locking and unlocking positions, said strap having cutout means to allow mounting of said yoke on said block when said strap is in unlocking position, said yoke having cutout means to receive said strap to lock said yoke to said block, and set screw means in the head of said yoke adapted to be turned to hold a conductor in said socket.

3. A terminal comprising a mounting block, a U-shaped yoke adapted to be mounted on said block in a manner whereby a socket is formed between said block and said yoke to receive a conductor cable, a strap secured to said block for slidable movement to locking and unlocking positions, said strap having notch means to allow mounting of said yoke on said block when said strap is in unlocking position, said yoke having an opening to receive said strap in unlocking position, notch means adjacent said opening to receive said strap in locking position, and a screw in said yoke adapted to be turned to hold a conductor in said socket.

4. A terminal comprising a mounting block having shoulders on opposite sides, a U-shaped yoke adapted to be mounted on said block in inverted position so that the legs of said yoke straddle said block to rest on said shoulders whereby a socket is formed between said yoke 5 is then moved so that its edges pass through notches 32, 33, 34, and 35 of legs 5 and said block to receive a conductor cable, a locking strap having notches in side edges thereof fixed to the upper face of said block and adapted to be slidable to an unlocking position whereby said notches are vertically aligned with said shoulders, said legs of said yoke having a cutout in the end thereof adapted to provide inner edges of said leg for passage through said notches in said strap, said inner edges of said'legs having notches for receiving the edges of said strap when said strap is in said locking position, and set screw means in the head of said yoke adapted to be turned to hold a conductor in said socket.

5. A terminal comprising a mounting block having shoulders on opposite sides, a U-shaped yoke adapted to be mounted on said block in inverted position so that the legs of said yoke straddle said block to rest on said shoulders whereby a socket is formed between said yoke and said block to receive a conductor cable, a locking strap having notches in side edges of said strap fixed to the upper face of said block and adapted to be slidable to an unlocking position whereby said notches are vertically aligned with one of said shoulders, a first leg of said yoke having an opening in the end thereof adapted to provide oppositely disposed inner edges of. said leg for passage through said notches in said strap, a second leg of said yoke having a rectangular slot therein for receiving the end of said strap when said strap is in looking position, said first leg having notches in the inner edges thereof for receiving the edges of said strap when said strap is moved to a locking position, and set screw means in said yoke adapted to be turned to hold a conductor in said socket.

6. A terminal comprising a mounting block, a U-shaped yoke adapted to be mounted on said block in an inverted manner whereby a socket is formed between said block and said yoke to receive a conductor cable and having aligned openings in the ends of the legs of said yoke having inner edges oppositely disposed, a strap slidably secured to said block having notches adapted to receive said inner edges of said legs during mounting of said yoke when said strap is in unlocking position, notches in said inner edges of said legs adapted to receive the side edges of said strap when said strap is in locking position, and means in said yoke to hold a conductor in said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,895 Buehring Sept. 6, 1938 2,145,556 Rypinski Jan. 31, 1939 2,693,587 Davidson Nov. 2, 1954 

